


Thread of Destiny

by asterisks



Category: SPN, Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, College, Destiel - Freeform, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Humor, Jealousy, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2017-12-06 01:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterisks/pseuds/asterisks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Castiel are in their final year of high school. Dean is the popular guy that everyone wants to know and Castiel is the smart guy who tutors kids at the middle school. They are from two different worlds but somehow found their way to each others paths.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hey, Winchester!

"This blows. I had plans for this break. I can't believe dad's dragging us to the lake and this early in the morning. I should be sleeping." He yawned.  
  
"What plans? Lock yourself up in that car shop?" Sam teased.  
  
"Shut it, dork."  
  
"It's just for three weeks, Dean."  
  
"This is like a year in my mind." He mumbled, stuffing clothes into his duffle bag. "You think they'll let me stay here while you guys head up there?"  
  
"Last time you stayed home you almost burned down the house."  
  
"How was I supposed to know the ceiling would burn like that?" He said as he shrugged his shoulders. "At least it didn't burn down. I should get some credit for that." He sat down on his bed and sighed. "Oh well, I guess I have no choice then, huh?"  
  
"Dean, Castiel is coming too. Mom wants to make sure I pass this prep-ACT test."  
  
"Poor guy getting dragged into this. I am so glad I survived that. Dude I wish you luck, though. You're only in the 8th grade. You have three more years of that crap."   
  
"BOYS! Let's go! Your father is waiting for us in the car."  
  
"Coming!" They shouted back before finishing up their packing.  
  
"Let's go Sammy."

* * *

Once outside the boys loaded their things into their dad's trunk. The ride would be long and Sam wasn't looking forward to it. "Hey Dean, you should bring your car." Sam suggested when he opened the door to the backseat. He wanted their dad to hear.   
  
"That's a friggin' good idea." It would save him and Sam from the long ride in the car listening to ACT talk. "Hey, you guys don't mind right? I can pick up Sammy's tutor and we can follow you guys up to the lake."  
  
John just grinned. He didn't mind. At least Dean wasn't trying to talk his way out of the trip. "Hurry up. Get your car outta the garage." He said as he pushed the button on the opener.   
  
Dean smirked. "Come on, Sammy." The brothers wasted no time in fleeing towards the garage. Dean backed out the 1967 Impala and Sam closed the door back before slipping into the passenger’s seat. "Good plan, little bro." Dean chimed.   
  
John honked motioning for Dean to follow him to Castiel's home.

* * *

They arrived at Castiel's home about 20 minutes later and Sam got out going to knock on the front door. Dean stayed in the car and waited. He had been there plenty of times but not at 6am in the morning.   
  
A brunette woman answered and smiled at the boy. "Good morning, Sam. Castiel will be down in a moment." She stepped aside and let him in. "How are your studies going?"  
  
"Good morning Ms. Naomi." He replied, questioning why the woman seemed so wide awake that early in the morning. "Castiel has been testing me on everything for the practice ACT so it's going really good." He said, answering her question.   
  
"That's wonderful. I'm pleased to hear that."  
  
Castiel came down right when his mother was about to speak again. He planned to get out as soon as possible.   
  
"Hey!" Sam said to the blond.   
  
"Good morning, Sam." He said as he moved over to the front door. "I'll see you in three weeks, mother."  
  
The woman just nodded and watched the two head to the Impala. Sam found it weird at how formal Castiel was with his mother. They seemed like strangers to one another, almost like a business transaction. There wasn't even a proper goodbye.   
  
Dean popped the trunk and watched Sam slide into the backseat. "He all set?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Castiel loaded his things into the trunk before closing the door. "Hello, Dean." He said softly as he got in. He felt awkward going on this trip with someone else's family but at the same time he was happy to be away from home. He didn't get along with his mother very well and he really liked the Winchester's. They treated him like an actual teenager, not an employee. Then there was Dean. The older Winchester was popular and seemed to be good at everything. He always thought Dean wouldn't give him the time of day if it weren't for the fact that he was tutoring Sam but he found out that he was wrong.   
  
Dean didn't care about popularity. In all honesty Dean didn't even realize how it happened. He was kind of rude- no he was rude, obnoxious, and obsessed with his car and music. Kids at school were far from his mind. Castiel didn't talk to Dean often since he was the quiet and shy type who spent his spare time in the library.   
  
"Hey Cas, you'll like the lake house. It's quiet. You're always at the library right? It's just like that but with water." He said, turning onto the freeway following his parents.  
  
Castiel went wide eyed for a moment. _'Cas?'_ He thought to himself. That was the first time someone called him that. It was sort of… nice. Wait! How did he know that he was always in the library?  
  
Yes Dean didn't seem like the type who valued studying but he was smart when he applied himself. He spent more time at the library than he cared to admit though. "I see you there all the time when I'm there."  
  
Castiel smiled and nodded. "Um, Yes. I like the library. It's quite relaxing."  
  
"Too quiet for my taste, the roof is a great place to chill though." It's where Dean got most of his homework done.   
  
"I have never been up there. They say no one is allowed. How did you get past the alarms?"  
  
"Well buddy, some rules are meant to be broken. Live a little. Those alarms are a joke. A monkey could disarm them."  
  
"Explains how you got in, Dean." Sam joked.  
  
"Who asked you, shorty?"  
  
Cas just smiled awkwardly and looked out the window. _'Live a little...’._ He wasn't sure he had ever done that but hey, anything was possible.

* * *

The lake house was beautiful. It had three floors; the first had three bedrooms with bathrooms inside of them. The second had two bedrooms and one bathroom, and the third had the master bedroom and a bathroom. The third floor was where Mary and John stayed. The cottage was located in Wisconsin and took about 10 hours to get there from Lawrence Kansas. John built it right after he and Mary had Dean. They went there for the holidays mostly but it was great for vacations. The cottage was 6 miles out from the town and surrounded by water except for the road that led into town. Only after 10 hours with five stops they had finally arrived. The vacation was just beginning.   
  
"Alright boys," John started. "Let’s get this stuff unpacked. Dean, show Castiel up to one of the rooms and help him unpack."  
  
"Sure thing," He closed the car door and popped the trunk. "Come on, Cas."  
  
Castiel nodded and grabbed his bags. He liked that nickname that Dean created for him. It was something new that made him feel accepted. "This place is beautiful, Dean." He nearly whispered as he followed the other teen up the porch steps.   
  
"Yeah, if you like this kind of stuff." He pushed open the front doors and looked back at Castiel. "You should stay on the first floor with me. All the bathrooms are inside the bedrooms." He cooed. "Plus Sammy likes having the second floor by himself. He calls it his 'moose flat'. Dork." He laughed and walked down the long hallway and stopped at the room next to his usual one. "Alright, I'm right next door so if you need anything, _don't_ knock on my door." How helpful. He didn't mean it but in a way he did.   
  
Castiel just nodded. "Understood."  
  
"Hey man, I was just kidding around."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Dude, you need to loosen up some." He took Castiel's bag and tossed it onto the bed. "Yeah, we can unpack later. Let's go swimming. You're way too fucking serious. It's break, man. Not finals."  
  
"Um...well--" He was cut off by Dean dragging him out of the room and back to the front door. This wouldn't end well.   
  
"Hey, dad! I'm gonna take Cas and show him around the area."  
  
"Be back for dinner." Mary shouted to him.  
  
"Gotcha!" He grinned and dragged the tutor around back. "There's this little spot that leads to this cool secluded waterfall. It's not huge but it's pretty awesome."  
  
Castiel followed quietly. He didn't exactly know how to say no to Dean...then again he wasn't sure if he wanted to say no. He didn't feel like such a robot with him.

* * *

The lake extended further than anyone could actually see from the road. Through the woods and the small opening between the rocks, there was a crescent shaped closed off area. The waterfall was the entrance and the exit. "See, I told you. This place is bad ass." He grinned and climbed down the stones to the flat ground. Castiel followed closely behind. He was in new territory.  
  
"C'mon, there's more under water."  
  
Castiel shook his head quickly. "Um, out here is fine."  
  
"C'mon, you first," Dean grinned and tossed Castiel into the water. Castiel didn't even have enough time to react. He knew he should have said something sooner.   
  
Dean watched him hit the water and sink under. He waited for a moment but only saw bubbles hitting the surface. "Cas?" He was starting to panic. "CAS!?" He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt before jumping off the elevated cliff and dived under. Dean saw the blond sinking down even further. He felt like a terrible person for forcing him into the water. He reached Castiel in time and wrapped an arm around the others waist and swam back to the surface. He was seconds away from sinking down to the darkest parts of the lake. "Cas, hang in there buddy." He got him back to the rocks and pulled him out of the water. Talk about a rocky start to a vacation.    
  
Dean performed CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation for a minute or two before Cas spat up the water he inhaled.   
  
Breathing heavily he rolled over into his side, coughing.   
  
"Are you okay?!" Dean asked his hand on his shoulder.   
  
Castiel just nodded.   
  
"Look man, I'm really sorry. I didn't know you couldn't swim." It probably would have helped if he had of asked. "You alright?"  
  
“I am fine. Don't blame yourself. I should have told you before you brought me here."

Dean just leaned over him, watching closely to make sure he was in fact okay. He didn’t want any visits to the hospitals on the very first day. His dad would be pissed. “Fuck you scared the shit out of me.”

Castiel pushed up onto his elbows and glanced at Dean. They were so close. He swallowed thickly and looked off to the side. “I’m sorry.”

“Dude, you really need to stop apologizing for everything. Not your fault.” He smiled softly and pushed hair out of the tutor’s face. “You want to head back?”

“No. I like it here.”


	2. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel is introduced to a friend of Dean's and isn't too fond of him but he doesn't really have a choice but to tolerate him. The feeling is mutual but Castiel is trying his best to act natural.

They spent hours there by the waterfall. Dean even convinced Castiel to get back into the water so he could teach him how to swim. It didn't go so well at first but he at least learned to stay afloat. Dean wouldn't have let him drown. "You aren't half bad you know." He said, placing his hands on Castiel's hips. He was teaching him how to get into swimming positions.  
  
"Thank you. I think."  
  
"Yeah, it's a compliment. I haven't had the chance to actually get to know you but so far you’re pretty cool." He heard the rumors about Castiel and his antisocial tendencies. Some people said he was a loner, others claimed he was snooty and rude to people. He wasn't sure where people developed those assumptions but he didn't get that vibe from Castiel. He sensed calm, caring, loyal, and intelligent. "You haven't ganked anyone before have you?"  
  
He raised a brow at the question. "Excuse me?"  
  
"Killed someone."  
  
That was unexpected. "No. Why would I kill someone?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know, angel. I’m just curious." They always said to watch out for the quiet ones.  
  
Castiel blushed hoping that Dean didn’t notice but considering how close they were he was sure he did. "Angel?"  
  
Dean grinned and pinched the blondish-brunette's sides. "Yeah. It suits you." Pulling away some he brought one hand up to grip Castiel's shoulder. "Alright. I'm gonna let go."  
  
"NO!"  
  
Dean was caught off guard when the other teen raised his voice. He had gotten used to the soft tone. "Calm down would you? I’m not going to let you drown. Just remember what I taught you. Got it?"  
  
Castiel huffed lightly and nodded. "If you let me die I'll haunt you for the rest of your life."  
  
Dean laughed but stopped when he realized that Castiel wasn't joking. "Oh um, don't worry about it. I've got you."  
  
He went forward and pushed his arms out in front of himself then kicked his legs out.  
  
"See, you're doing it."  
  
He was swimming and he felt great. Still, he didn't venture off too far from Dean. He was still finding it hard to stay above water but he didn't sink. Finally getting back upright, he turned to Dean. "Hey, this isn't so bad--"  
  
"Hey Winchester!" Came a voice from the waterfall entrance.  
  
Dean scanned the rocks until his eyes met with another brunette's. Today was just full of surprises.  
  
"I didn't know you guys were coming down this week. How long are you here?" He asked, taking a seat on the rocks once he climbed down to the water.  
  
"Three weeks. We just got here a few hours ago."  
  
"I see. Who's your friend, Deanie~?"  
  
"What is this? 21 questions? And damn, stop calling me that." He whined. "This is Castiel though, a friend of the family." He took the other teen's hand and led him over to the rocks. "Castiel this is Alastair. He lives a few miles from the lake house."  
  
Castiel climbed out with Dean's help and held his hand out to Alastair. "Hello. It's nice to meet you." He said quietly.  
  
Alastair just grinned and took the brunette's hand. "Dean, I knew you liked them shy, but wow~ He's definitely something new."  
  
Dean blushed lightly and rolled his eyes. "Shut up." He sat down next to his friend and glanced at Castiel briefly. "What are you doing over here?"  
  
"The weather has warmed up so I figured it was time to go for a swim. Plus I saw your car out by the house. I had a slight hunch that you'd be here.  
  
Dean grinned. "Stalker."  
  
Castiel felt awkward. He didn't know Alastair and it seemed like he was becoming what they called the ' _third wheel'_. Dean and Alastair seemed really close so he felt even more out of place. He was shy enough as it was, he didn't need to embarrass himself in front of Dean or his friend.  
  
Dean obviously sensed Cas' un-comfortableness. He smirked and looped an arm around Castiel's shoulders and hugged him close. "Cas here is really smart, Al. He's Sammy's tutor."  
  
Alastair scanned his eyes over the younger teen. He saw why Dean fancied him. He was slender, shy, and cute. This one though was intelligent and unusually quiet and Dean went out of his way to make him feel included. That was a first. "Interesting. What's your favorite subject?" He asked.  
  
Castiel glanced off to the side. Not only did he feel shy now, but he was realizing that Dean was a very touchy person. "Um I really enjoy math and history." He answered.  
  
"I’ll pass on math but history though, great subject."  
  
"Yeah only because you're a damn masochist who enjoys learning about torture in cultures." Dean commented.  
  
"Deanie, it's an acquired taste my dear."  
  
Dean just sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, dude." He mumbled with a laugh. "I'd prefer anything that doesn't involve heavy loads of paper and numbers. So hell no history and math, I can do without those." Dean hated math and book work in general but he enjoyed his English classes. Reading managed to keep his attention but no one knew that except Sam.  
  
Castiel laughed softly glancing at Dean. Dean was smarter than he let on and Castiel knew that well. Focusing back on the closeness that Dean created he blushed and looked out at the water. "It's um...--"  
  
There was a faint growling thud coming from the distance that cut off Castiel’s sentence. The boys glanced up and spotted a group of dark clouds that were slowly approaching.  
  
"Looks like you jinxed the warm weather, Alastair."  
  
The brunette shrugged and pushed up from his spot. "Nah, it's not that bad."  
  
The echoing thunder grew louder.  
  
"Yeah, it's totally all fine." He released his grip on Castiel and stood, pulling him along. "We should get going before it gets worse."  
  
Castiel just nodded and walked past Dean to grab his clothes that he was _talked_ out of.  
  
Dean did the same by pulling his now damp jeans over his soaked boxers then threw his shirt over his shoulder. "Ready, Cas?"  
  
Castiel nodded and pulled his shirt back on. "Yes."  
  
The boys soon left the waterfall and headed back towards the house. Dean walked through the front doors first then followed by Castiel and Alastair. “We’re back!” The older Winchester shouted. “I brought some company too! Alastair came down; we’ll all be in the room if you need us.” The next thing you heard was the bedroom door being closed.

Mary laughed softly from the kitchen and kissed John’s cheek. “We should set an extra plate for Alastair, John.”

 

He nodded and reached over the blonde to retrieved the dishes. “I feel like children are multiplying every hour.”

* * *

 Meanwhile Dean flopped down onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. “I’m so hungry.” He groaned.

“Dean, I need to change. These wet clothes are quite uncomfortable.”

Dean just nodded. “Sorry, I did kind of just drag you in here.”

The tutor nodded to both Dean and Alastair and fled the room. A moment alone to process things was much needed.

When the door closed behind the brunette Alastair moved over to the bed and sat down next to Dean. “What’s the deal with the tutor?”

Dean ignored him in favor of texting someone. “Eh…”

“You’re hiding something, Deanie.”

“I’m not.”

“Liar. I know when you’re lying, Dean.”

Dean dropped his phone on the bed and sat up. “Man, you’re worse than my mother.” He rolled his eyes and punched Alastair in the arm. “I’m not hiding anything. What are you even talking about?” He asked.

“This guy, you’re so protective of him and I have to say I’m surprised. Do you even know him?” It was obvious that Alastair was jealous and didn’t care too much for Dean actually showing interest in someone other than him. For the longest, Dean spent every waking moment with Alastair. That’s how they became such close friends.

“Don’t be creepy.”

Alastair playfully shoved Dean and shook his head. “Naïve boy.”

“Sadistic bitch.”

“I guess I should head home. Ruby won’t cover for me much longer.”

“Yeah, she might kill you. You should drop by tomorrow?”

“Maybe, if you’re lucky enough for me to grace you with my presence, boy.”

 

Dean just shook his head and made a shooing gesture with his hand.

* * *

 Castiel finally returned and the mood in the room seemed to have changed. With Alastair gone, it would just be them. Alone. The brunette closed the door back and stood there awkwardly. “I’m…back.”

“Obviously. I can see you, angel~”

Castiel felt that same feeling rush over him again. He couldn’t quite fathom what was happening but he didn’t question it. It was nice.

“You don’t have to stand there.” He scooted over on the bed and patted the now empty space. “Come on.”

Castiel nodded and hesitated momentarily before lying down next to Dean. “Where did your friend go?” He asked.

“He had to head home. His little sister hates being left alone.”

He smiled and nodded. “I see.” He hated to say it, but he was happy that Alastair left. He liked it better when it was just the two of them. At least he and Alastair had something in common. They didn’t fancy sharing Dean with other people.

“Hey Cas?”

“Yes?”

“What’s your number?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your cell?”

“I um…yes. I know what you meant I just…” He stopped talking before he made an even bigger fool of himself. He locked eyes with Dean and held out his hand for the others phone. After Dean handed it to him he typed in his number and returned the phone.

Dean grinned and swiftly caught a picture of Castiel and set it as the icon. “There.” He grinned happily and held it up to Castiel's face so he could see it.

He glanced at the screen, Dean had it listed as ‘Angel’.

What exactly was going on?


	3. Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas are getting closer and the chemistry between the two is becoming more known to others around them.

Dinner was done about two or so hours later but the older boys ended up falling asleep in Dean's bed. Sam was sent to go fetch them for dinner but decided not to wake them. They looked peaceful and he was silently shipping those two. So dinner consisted of Sam, John, and Mary. They didn't mind letting the boys sleep.  
  
Dean tossed around in bed a bit before finally waking. He didn't even remember falling asleep to be honest. The last thing he remembered was watching television with Castiel. With a yawn he stretched and looked at the television that was shining bright with infomercials. He felt terribly groggy and possibly might have slept too hard. Looking over to the clock he instantly groaned as his eyes tried to focus on the dim blue light. "Two-fucking-AM." He droned quietly to himself. It was 6:25pm when he last remembered checking the time. The television light was killing him and the volume was a bit loud so he felt around in the bed for the remote. Instead of the remote his hand discovered something warm; Cas' stomach. He had forgotten that Castiel also fell asleep in his bed. Dean narrowed his eyes and tried to focus on the other teen but instead he spotted the remote.  
  
It was on the other side of tutor.  
  
"Awesome."  
  
He reached over him as slowly and quietly as he could and snatched up the remote then shut the television off. He wanted to go back to sleep but he felt like he was too wide away now.  
  
The Winchester chose to stare at the ceiling for temporary entertainment until a soft noise escaped past Castiel's lips. That definitely piqued his interested.  
  
Castiel shifted and curled up against Dean. It was nice to have a warm body next to him. He could confidently say that it was probably the best sleep he would ever get.  
  
Dean felt slightly uncomfortable but excited at the same time. It was obvious that Dean liked Castiel but then again he wasn't trying to hide it. "Cas?"  
  
"....Dean." Castiel whispered, nuzzling the Winchester in his sleep. He was dreaming of Dean but it was appropriate of course.  
  
Dean's cheeks flushed a bright red as he focused back on the ceiling. He liked hearing Castiel say his name in that tone. With a small smile he looped an arm around Castiel. He found out how to get back to sleep after all.

* * *

A few hours later Castiel woke up tangled in the sheets and in Dean’s arms. He was face to face with a sleeping Dean and he felt his stomach drop. Nervousness definitely set in and shyness overload began. He gasped and jumped back some. “D-Dean!” He didn’t realize how close to the edge of the bed he really was and went tumbling to the floor. He hit the wooden floor hard with a loud thud but not alone though, he brought Dean down with him.  
  
Dean’s eyes jolted open when he landed on top of Castiel. “What the hell, Cas?” He pushed up from the other and took a seat next to him on the floor. “You scared the shit out of me.” He said as he leaned back against the mattress. “You alright though? That sounded like it kind of hurt.”  
  
Castiel just nodded and sat up on his elbows. “I’m sorry. I um…I―“ He didn’t know how to explain why he just threw them both off the bed. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Dean just laughed and tossed his head back against the mattress. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it man.”  
  
Castiel stood from the floor and rubbed his now sore hips.  
  
“Too bad we weren’t on the second floor. There is carpet on all the floors up there.”  
  
Castiel laughed softly. “It’s worth it being down here instead.” He smiled at him before moving to the door and opening it.  
  
Dean stared up at him for a moment. There were so many ways to read into what Castiel had just said. “Where ya goin’ angel?”  
  
Castiel just walked out and headed to his bedroom. It wasn’t noticeable but the tutor’s heart was racing and his fingers were trembling. Did he just flirt with Dean Winchester and not do something embarrassing? He was proud of himself. This wasn’t much in other people’s eyes but it meant a lot to Castiel because he tended to get nervous when he was around Dean so being able to successfully flirt with him was a milestone in his book.  
  
Dean just smirked and remained on the floor next to his bed. It was still pretty early- well for Dean at least. It was 11:30am.  
  
Castiel showered and got dressed for the day. Mary had told them since it was the weekend studying wouldn't start until Monday for Sam. It was Friday, who would ruin a perfectly great day with ACT talk? He knew how he would spend his day off~ With Dean of course.

* * *

Dean followed suit and showered as well then headed downstairs. It was too quiet. He went into the kitchen and found a note on the fridge. It said,  
  
 _Good morning boys,_  
  
 _We headed into town to get supplies for the house. Breakfast is in the oven. We didn't want to bother you. You two looked so peaceful._  
  
 _Also, turn the oven off when you take the food out. I left it on really low so it'd keep your food warm until you two got up._  
  
 _Love you!_  
  
 _Mom_  
  
Dean smiled and took the note off the fridge. "Good, I'm starving." He said to himself. He grabbed one of the plates from the oven and started eating.  
  
Castiel came into the kitchen minutes later. He didn't see Dean in the room so he figured he was in here.  
  
"There's a plate in the oven for you." Dean said with a smile when he saw Castiel walk through the door.  
  
Castiel nodded and retrieved his plate then sat down next to Dean. "Where are your parents and your brother?"  
  
"They went into town to get crap for the house." He answered with a full mouth of eggs.  
  
Castiel just silently laughed. Dean was cute. "I see." The room went silent for what seemed like ages and he looked down at the plate. How nice of Dean’s mother. There were definitely differences between Dean’s mother and Castiel’s. “Mm, this doesn’t taste like cardboard.”

Dean turned his head and glanced at him. “Um, thanks I think.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean for it to sound so rude…it’s just, it’s really delicious. My mother is lacking in this department. She isn’t a very good cook.”

“That sucks man.”

“I do most of the cooking around the house but she insists on assuming the motherly role.” Too bad his mother didn’t understand that she was doing the role terribly wrong.

Dean leaned over to Castiel and stuffed a grape in his mouth. "Hm, I suck at cookin' so you should teach me sometime. I'm up for learning."

Castiel’s eyes widened for a moment but he didn’t move away.

“Sorry. I don’t really like grapes but my mom always puts them on my plate for breakfast. So here, enjoy~”

Castiel opened his mouth again and this time Dean was caught off guard.

“Yeah…” His eyes drifted down to Castiel’s pale lips and he tried to stay focused. “Here,” he slid his plate over to Castiel and bit his bottom lip. He really didn’t want to make a move on Sam’s tutor. That could complicate things but at the same time he wanted this guy. Dean didn’t really have a gender preference. He loved women but he held a more profound attraction towards certain guys. “So um what do you want to do today? I’m sure they won’t be back for a while. My mom gets carried away when it comes to shopping for food.”

Castiel was stuffing his face with grapes while listening to Dean. He shrugged his shoulders to the question though. “I should be filling out applications for college.” His mother was pushing him to go to a certain school and pursue a certain career but Castiel’s heart just wasn’t into it. He had plans that he dreamed about. “But I’m not going to. We’re going to do something fun.”

Dean grinned. “Angel, I think I’m rubbing off on you and I love it.” He pushed away from the counter and poured himself and Castiel some orange juice. “Something fun, eh? We can finish up your swimming lessons.”

Castiel would refuse in a heartbeat but after yesterday he was more willing to trust Dean with teaching him how to swim. The close proximity and contact made the experience all the better. “Maybe.” He smiled awkwardly and glanced back down at his plate. Damn Dean and his skills for making him feel bashful.

 “There is a little boat in the back. I’m sure it doesn’t have any holes and shit in it. We can take it out if you want.” He sensed that Castiel was still uneasy about swimming so he wouldn’t mind just enjoying floating around in the boat. It would give them some time to just talk.

“That sounds nice.”

"Alright, we have a plan!" He leaned over Castiel and rested his chin on the tutor's shoulder. "You're not going to make me paddle the entire time are you?"

Castiel stiffened and tilted his head slightly giving Dean room. "No. I'll contribute."

Dean loved that Castiel didn't recognize flirting and also responded with a logical answer each time. It was hilarious but he wanted to evoke some kind of response out of his little angel. "Come help me dig this boat out?"

Castiel nodded. "Of course."


	4. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel is experiencing new things each minute that passes with Dean. He isn't the only one learning something, Dean is finding out a bit more about Castiel. The boys both set off for college tours and an adventure awaits them.

Dean let go of the paddle and leaned in close to Castiel. He tried to refrain from making a move on Sam's tutor but he couldn't, the attraction was too strong. He positioned himself between Castiel's legs and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
Castiel was caught off guard and all he could do was sit there. His first kiss was with Dean Winchester and he wasn't expecting it. He also didn't mind, he really liked it. The older teen pulled away some and touched his lips, they felt so naked after separating from Dean's.  
  
"Don't tell me you've never kissed anyone before." Dean asked. He noticed how awkward his angel seemed about the kiss.  
  
Castiel didn't answer but the faint blush on his cheeks answered it for him. He was flustered easily, especially by Dean.  
  
"You just keep getting better and better." He grabbed Castiel's shirt and tugged him into another light kiss. He heard a slight gasp slip from the teen’s lips and he grinned at the sound. He enjoyed the idea of being Castiel's first kiss. At the rate they were going he planned to be his first at some other things as well. Dean broke the kiss this time and let his fingers ghost over the small patch of exposed skin on Castiel’s shoulder. "Are you a virgin?" He bluntly asked.  
  
That only flustered Castiel more. Why was he asking all of those questions? "T-that's inappropriate to discuss, Dean!" He huffed.  
  
Dean laughed softly and tilted his head. "Yeah because you're so damn sheltered." Dean wasn't _just_ interested in sex but it definitely caught his attention. Castiel's body was nice but he wanted to know more about Castiel too. It was the first time that he took deep interest in someone and he had properly decided to invest more time. "So answer my question, angel."  
  
Castiel bit his bottom lip and quietly nodded. He felt embarrassed and didn't want Dean to know he was a virgin- he didn’t want anyone to know. It was private and he didn’t talk to anyone about sex and didn’t plan on it. He honestly thought that Dean would laugh at him but he was surprised when the laughter never happened. Castiel wasn’t like most people his age. He didn’t know the social norms or trends of a teenager. "I am.”  
  
Dean would be lying of he said he wasn't pleased by the tutor's answer. "See? Was that so hard to say?" He pecked Castiel on the lips once more before gripping onto the paddles again and pushing against the sluggish water.  
  
Castiel followed suit but kept his gaze on the small waves they made in the water. He couldn't even look at Dean. He had never experienced anything like that before and had no idea how to handle it. Perhaps Dean was right; he was sheltered. Castiel didn't date because his mother raised him to focus on his studies and _only_ his studies. So he didn't get that type of social interaction that would have prepared him for Dean's advances.  He knew he couldn't ignore it since he had feelings for Dean, so he would wing it. "Dean?"  
  
"Hm?" He cooed, bringing his attention back to the brunette.  
  
"Will you drive me somewhere?"  
  
Dean raised a brow. "Yeah sure where do you need to go?"  
  
"Campus tours. We are in our final year and I am to attend three tours before the end of the month."  
  
"Your mother has you on a tight schedule. It's your vacation, man." Dean changed the direction of the boat and headed back towards the dock. "Which places are you checking out?"  
  
"One here in Wisconsin and two in Iowa." He said dryly. Those were the places his mother wanted him to look at but his heart was yearning for Illinois.  
  
"You don't sound so sure."  
  
"They were chosen for me."  
  
"What do _you_ want?"  
  
He looked at Dean with a look of pure confusion. Had anyone ever asked him what he wanted? Had anyone truly cared? "Illinois."  
  
"Then that's where we're going." When the boat hit up against the wooden staircase the Winchester stood and tied the boat to the post. "Come on, let me grab my car keys and we can go." He reached his hand out to Castiel and smiled.

He took Dean’s hand and they headed back to the house.

* * *

Dean texted Sam to tell him that they would be back a little later because they went to look at colleges which pleased their parents. They thought Castiel was a great influence on Dean. They had been trying to get their son searching for months now. Sam knew more though. Dean wouldn't willingly just go check out schools; he didn't even know where he wanted to go. Obviously Castiel was the only reason he would consider going.

* * *

Dean didn't mind driving Castiel to Illinois. Personally, he liked getting him to step outside of his shell. It was like opening up an entirely new world to someone.  
  
"I am considering disobedience." He said out of nowhere as he looked out the window. Since they weren't going to discuss the kissing situation he felt he should tell Dean what was on his mind.  
  
Dean raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Yes." He wasn't sure what had gotten into him but he wanted to do everything that had been forbidden. Maybe it was because Dean made him feel so incredibly daring or perhaps it was because Dean encouraged him to follow what he desired. Either way, he wanted to cross that prison line.  
  
"I'm sure your disobedience isn't bad but what the hell, I'm down~" He wouldn't let Castiel do something stupid; the last thing he wanted was to screw up this intelligent student's life. He did plan to show his angel a different side of living. Castiel was sheltered and conservative, he wanted to loosen him up a bit. "So does your mom know you have other schools in mind?"  
  
He tore his gaze from the window and looked at Dean. "No. She would not be pleased. She has a path for us."

"Us?"

"My brothers and I."

"When did you get brothers, man?"  
  
"I've always had them. They no longer stay with my mother and I and we barely speak. Balthazar, the eldest, left first when he was 18. He never let mother control him. Gabriel left soon after when he turned 17."  
  
Balthazar was now 23 and Gabriel was 21. They wanted to come back for Castiel but she threatened to send him to boarding school if they attempted. She was controlling and didn't like disobedience. She liked everything to go her way.  
  
"And you stayed?"  
  
He nodded. "I couldn't just leave her." The only reason he didn't speak with his brothers as often was because they left him with her. He was too young to leave with them. "I care for her but I do not like her."  
  
Dean felt bad. He couldn't even imagine having a bad relationship with his mother or his brother. "You should talk to your brothers."  
  
"Perhaps."

"Dude, you deserve to make your own decisions. Don't feel bad for it either. You just turned 18 right?" Dean asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then live your life or you'll regret it. Don't be anyone's bitch."  
  
Castiel stared at the driver. He was amazed at how outspoken Dean was. He would love to have that spark. "Thank you."

* * *

The drive took a few hours but they finally arrived in Evanston Illinois. Dean pulled into one of the parking lots of Northwestern University and parked near the door. Their journey was just beginning.


	5. Alastair, For Starters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Castiel attend the campus tour and things go great. Castiel makes a decision about his life and is feeling great about himself- well until the road block from his mother and an 'old friend' ruins the moment.

The parking lot was pretty full. There were a lot of high school students coming for the tour. Castiel was nervous because this could potentially be his future college, plus his mother wouldn’t be pleased to hear the change of plans. He sat still for the longest before removing his seatbelt. It was now or never.  
  
"Ready?" Dean asked.  
  
"Yes." He was as ready as he could get.  
  
"Let's get going then." He turned off the engine and exited the impala as Castiel followed suit. Dean smiled and headed towards the crowd that had just arrived and soon they were led to a classroom.

* * *

Dean responded quietly with nods and low hums, completely unaware of how intensely he was staring at Castiel. Typically, he would listen carefully to whatever the older student would say but he didn't want to right now, he just wanted to watch him. "What girl was it?" He asked as he tried to focus. Castiel was telling him that the woman teaching the class looked awfully a lot like Jo Harvelle.  
  
"I believe her name is Joanna. I met her before, she's nice. I often see her over your house while I'm tutoring your brother." He was curious if Dean and Jo had a thing going but he knew it wasn't any of his business. It wasn’t like they were dating or anything.

Resisting was nearly impossible, he wanted nothing more than to ravish the other no matter who was looking. Without really thinking, he tugged Castiel's chair closer to his own. "Yeah, Jo’s cool. She's my best friend- well more like a little sister though."

Castiel nodded and took notice of Dean scooting the chair closer. Silently watching the instructor he bit his lip. He still wasn't sure how this all happened. He had known Dean since they were in kindergarten and was surprised from the attention he received. They never hung out since Castiel strayed away from Dean's friends. Still, he liked him. Dean wasn't like the others; he didn't humiliate people or took part in bullying. He admired that Dean didn't follow in his friend’s footsteps. He admired that Dean didn’t follow anyone and made his own path. "It is wonderful to have relationships like that." He commented but could only imagine if that were true since he never had one himself.

"Yeah-" Dean was interrupted by the instructors closing statements. He had realized that he missed nearly all of the instructions.

"And the tour will begin with the dorms." She pointed to the last three tables, “you all will be coming with me." Pointing to the last four instructors in the room she spoke again. "The rest of you will be divided up once I take my group. Alright, let's get going."

* * *

 Castiel was glad that he decided to ask Dean to bring him. The campus was beautiful, the programs were great. It was everything he wanted in a school. The tour had also gone well; Castiel was prepared to apply for the university. After lunch they would all receive folders with documents they would need to apply. “I would like to thank you again for bringing me.”

“No problem, angel.” He muffled out, mouth filled with fries. “I really don’t mind, plus, this is the first I actually even thought of college. To be honest, this place doesn’t sound too bad.” He swallowed and looked at Castiel. “You sure you’re not hungry?”

Castiel nodded. He didn’t have much of an appetite. He was planning how to break the news to his mother.

“Cas, you alright?” Dean asked, holding out a fry to him.

He took the fry and nodded. “Yes.” He lied. He was far from alright but he didn’t want to talk about it. “We should pick up the packets and return to Wisconsin. It will be getting late soon.”

“If you say so.” He stood from the bench and dumped his container into the trash then stretched his muscles. "Let's roll."

"May I make a phone call first?"

"Sure, I guess I’ll wait in line for us."

"Thank you." He pulled out his phone and called his mother once Dean made some distance between them. This wouldn't end well and he didn’t want Dean to hear.

Naomi answered and wasted no time in fussing. "Castiel? You were supposed to call me once you arrived. I thought something happened. It's been two days." She scolded. 

"I'm sorry, mother. I've been distracted."

"I'm starting to regret letting you go on this trip. Is that older Winchester boy becoming a negative influence on you?" She didn't care for people giving her son new ideas and perspectives. Naomi lost complete control over her two older sons and she was holding on for dear life to Castiel. She had him on a leash. 

Castiel brought his gaze up to Dean who was in line. He was making faces at Castiel. "No." He smiled and looked away before his laughter became audible. "He's done nothing wrong." The only thing Dean did was open his eyes to so much more in the world. 

"Good. How is tutoring coming along?" 

It wasn't like she really cared; she just wanted to keep the conversation going. 

"Fine, it's going fine. Mother, I actually called to discuss something important with you about school." He knew his mother had big plans for him. She wanted him to go to a specific school and study for a specific job. She had it all planned out. 

"What's the urgent news?" 

"I'm applying for a university in Chicago."

The line went silent for moment. She thought she had heard wrong. Surely Castiel hadn't ruined all of her plans in two days. "You're me kidding, right?"

"No. I'm serious. This school is amazing. I want to- no I'm going to apply."

"Castiel this isn't what we discussed!" 

"You mean it isn't what you demanded. This is what I want and I plan to do it!" His heart was racing and he felt so free. Castiel felt great speaking up for himself. Who knew that one little talk with Dean could have inspired him so much? 

He quickly hung up the phone and tried to relax. It didn't go as bad as he thought it would but he didn't really give his mother a chance to speak. Rests assure it would be a scene once the vacation was over; he hung up on his mother!

Castiel walked over to Dean in the line and put on a smile.

"Everything alright?" He saw Castiel’s facial expressions and they weren't very happy ones. 

"I am fine, thank you." 

"Liar. I won't push though." He hated when people did that to him so he wouldn’t do it to Castiel. When the other wanted to talk he’d be there to listen.

They made it to the front if the line and received their packets. It didn't take them long to fill out everything. They were even exempt from all application fees since they attended the seminar. Things went smoothly and Castiel actually forgot about his disagreement with his mother. He contemplated on whether to tell Dean but for right now he chose to enjoy the trip. 

After turning everything in, the boys headed back to the impala to head home.

* * *

 It was a bit after 7pm when the boys pulled back up to the lake house. The ride was nice but it was far too quiet. Dean knew something was wrong but he didn't pry. "Home sweet home." He sang as he glanced over to the other teen.

Castiel smiled weakly. "You can head inside. I um, I need a moment, please."

Dean turned the car off and held out the keys to Castiel. "Lock up when you come in." He must have really trusted Castiel to hand over his car keys.

"Thank you."

"No problem~" He exited the car and went inside.

Castiel sat in the car for what seemed like ages. He finally decided to head inside. A moment alone might not have been a good idea. His mind only flooded with negative outcomes with his mother when he returned home.

Finally forcing himself out of the car, he locked it and headed inside. He held Dean’s keys tightly in his hand and was rushing to the Winchester’s room to return them.

Alastair had reentered the house earlier only to find that Dean was gone. He sat with Sam for a little while and was just now leaving. On his way out, he spotted Castiel making his way inside the house and obviously headed to Dean’s bedroom. He quickly reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to a halt. "Whoa, whoa, hang on there, speedy!" He said with a devious grin. "What's the hurry? Is everything all right?" Alastair gave Castiel a look that showed almost genuine concern. Of course it wasn’t, there was always an ulterior motives involved when it came to his interest in Dean.  

Castiel nearly jumped when he was grabbed and locked eyes with Dean’s friend. He was under the impression that no one else was in the house but Dean so it caught him off guard. He glanced at him for a moment before breaking eye contact. He didn't want him to know that he was nervous and slightly uncomfortable. "Alastair, you scared me." He said in the most upbeat tone that he was capable of. "I just have to- um, I was just going for a walk is all. No rush.” He lied with a soft smile. Everything was not fine. He was confused and needed to clear his mind, especially after speaking with his mother. He was a bad liar unfortunately.

Alastair smiled coolly at Castiel. "Oh, don't give me that bullshit, _angel_. The exit is the other way.” He mocked. “I can guess by the look on your face that something is terribly wrong. What did Dean do? Say something rude? Yell at you? Those kinds of traits run through his veins you know." He released Castiel’s arm and stepped back, tapping his chin coyly. "You really are cute, you know. It's quite funny actually; you almost look like that kid he used to date. Dean’s ex." He reached out and flicked a lock of Castiel’s hair, then ghosted his finger tip over the younger teen’s cheek. "Same brunette hair, bright blue eyes- although, Alex was bigger than you are. Cuter even~" He shrugged. "Don’t feel bad, I can see why Deanie chose you as his replacement fuck." His grin had converted into something monstrous and bitterly amused. Messing with this little boy’s mind would be absolutely satisfying. "Ah, well. It won't matter for long, now will it? I'm sure Dean will soon grow tired of you and go right back to Alex. I’ll give it a month tops." He moved over to the front door and placed his hand on the knob. "In fact, I would bet that he'll lose interest right after he gets in your pants.” He winked at Castiel. "Give me a call when that happens, gorgeous." With that, he slipped out the door.

He was pleased with the trouble he knew he just caused. It was obvious that Castiel was the type to keep to himself so he knew he wouldn’t tell Dean what they just discussed. Alastair lucked out because this was only the beginning.


	6. Aftereffects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel is struggling being around Dean after the information he received from Alastair. Meanwhile, Alastair continues plotting after Castiel. Later, an old face emerges.

Castiel stood there as Alastair made his exit. Dean's replacement huh? Was this what he was, a mere substitute for this Alex person? He felt his heart drop into his stomach. He knew it was too good to be true. Dean was everything he wasn't; confidant, outgoing, and not afraid to speak his mind. Why would he want to be with a shy bookworm? There was an ache in his chest and his grip tightened on the Winchester's keys. "I-I should return these..." He whispered to himself.  
   
Making his way down the hall he stopped outside of Dean's bedroom. He would give him the keys and retreat to his own room that was the plan. Castiel wasn't sure how to act around Dean after learning new information about him. Was it even true? He debated about asking but didn't want to come off as nosy or overbearing. Why was this happening to him?  
   
He swallowed and knocked before opening the door. He was caught off guard by Dean who was actually headed out of the room.  
   
"Angel, I was just coming to check on you. You know, to make sure you didn't lock yourself in or anything." He teased.  
   
"...I'm sorry I took so long. Here are your keys." He said, holding them out to Dean. "I'll be heading to bed now, Dean. Goodnight."

"Wait- what? You're heading to bed already?" He thought they could talk for a bit. He wanted to see how the older teen was doing after the talk with his mother but that seemed out of the question now.  
   
"Yes." He placed the keys in Dean's hand and turned to head down the hall but Dean grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.  
   
"Wait."  
   
"Please let go of me!" He pleaded, his voice getting a little sterner. He couldn't face Dean right now and he felt like he was going to cry which made everything worse. He and Dean weren't dating; they weren't anything yet so he couldn't figure out why he was so upset. He felt pathetic for thinking it was something more than it was. "Please..."  
   
Dean quickly let go and Castiel fled within seconds. He sensed his uneasiness and didn’t want to make matters worse. ”What the hell...?"  
   
Sam came around the corner right as Castiel entered his own room. He stared at his brother for a moment before speaking. "Did you guys have a fight or something?" He questioned. And here he thought the two were headed in a good direction.  
   
"No- maybe I dunno to be honest." He was confused; they were doing just fine a few hours ago. So what had exactly changed since then?  
   
"Maybe you should go talk to him that might help?" Sam suggested.  
   
"Yeah, thanks bro." He only hoped that would make a difference.  
   
Sam returned to the kitchen and Dean went back to his bedroom to give Castiel some space.  
   
Castiel paced his room, rubbing his head. What was he doing? He was freaking out over nothing. Sure Dean kissed him but it was probably nothing. It was just in the heat of the moment. Or maybe Alastair was just poking fun and he was reading too much into it. "Dean is a nice guy." He said to himself. "Alastair knows him better than I do. They've been friends longer." He debated back and forth but all his conclusions came to him being a replacement. "I'm overreacting!" He aggressively whispered. He suddenly froze when he heard a sharp knock on the door.  
   
Dean felt like he waited long enough even though only five minutes had passed. He had walked down the hall and knocked on the door, they needed to talk.

“Y-yes?” He called out softly.

Dean didn’t wait for an invitation; he walked right in and closed the door behind himself. “We need to talk. Now.”

“I have nothing to say. Please leave.” He turned away from the Winchester.

“Yeah, so I’m sure you’ve gotten a hold on my personality. I’m not just going to leave.” He put his hand on Castiel’s shoulder and turned him around. “What the fuck did I do to piss you off? One minute we’re good and the next you’re running away from me like I attacked you.”

Castiel just stared at him and realized how insecure he was acting- how insecure he _was_. How was he to explain everything to Dean? His mother had him this way, brainwashing him making him paranoid about the simplest things. There was a reason he never dated. “I- my mother is being overbearing and I didn’t want to ruin your trip.” He half lied. It was 15% about his mother but 85% about Alastair getting into his head. It was definitely taking its toll on the tutor.

Dean just looked at him. “You idiot, that wouldn’t ruin my trip.” He yanked him closer and his expression changed. He wouldn’t say that he was head over heels for Castiel but he knew he was attracted to him and not just for his looks. The little things about him were what he liked the most. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately and hell, we’ve been going to the same school since we were kids. It’s just now that I realized that I’ve missed out on having a damn good friend around. So I guess I’m making up for lost time and if you need to vent about your mom then I’m here, dude. Don’t push me away.” He wasn’t one to give pep talks but he’d make an exception for Castiel.

Castiel felt awkward now and didn’t even want to mention what Alastair had revealed to him. He would brush it under the rug and move on. He didn’t want to ruin Dean’s relationship with Alastair. “Thank you. I’m fine now that I had time to clear my mind.”

“What did your mom say?”

“Nothing, I did not give her a chance to speak. I already knew what she would say. She doesn’t approve of the university in Chicago but...but I do.”

“And that’s all that matters.” He closed the rest of the space between them and kissed Castiel gently on the lips. His right hand gripped his hip and his other laced through dark brown hair. “If it matters, I think you’re following what your heart wants.” He whispered against soft lips.

Castiel could feel his cheeks getting warm and he wanted nothing more than to turn away so Dean wouldn't see. “Thank you again.” He turned his head slightly to break contact. Of course he was still worried about being this close to Dean for the fear of being his substitute but he found it easy to keep his mind focused. Still, things were far from resolved. He wouldn't be right until they discussed Alex.

“I’ll head back to my room and let you get some sleep but if you need me you know where I am. Goodnight, Angel.”

Castiel nodded and watched Dean leave. He trailed his fingers over his lips for a moment, already missing Dean’s contact. “Goodnight.”

Finally snapping out of it, he decided to get ready for bed himself.

* * *

3am seemed to happen out of nowhere and the house was quiet. Everyone went off to bed except Castiel. He couldn’t sleep; his mind was racing and had him thinking about everything from A to Z. Lying there was becoming tedious. He knew what he needed so he slipped from under the covers and went to the door to leave. He went right to Dean’s bedroom door and didn’t hesitate to walk inside. He quietly closed the door back and approached the bed. Dean looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. He still had unresolved issues about Dean’s motives thanks to Alastair but something told Castiel he could trust him and he would. After crawling into the bed he scooted up close next to Dean. He still couldn’t sleep but his mind was at ease. “Thank you, Dean.” He whispered, placing a light kiss on Dean’s lips. That would probably be the only time he could kiss him so boldly.

* * *

Morning rolled around quickly and Castiel managed to get some sleep. Dean on the other had woken up to something tickling his nose. He swatted and groaned but it wouldn’t go away so he opened his eyes. To his surprise, he found a half-naked Castiel curled up to him. The other teen’s hair was tickling Dean’s nose. He blinked and reevaluated last night’s events because he didn’t remember Castiel coming to bed with him. “Cas?” He whispered, placing his hand on the teen’s exposed hip. “Wake up.”

Castiel’s eyes fluttered open and focused on Dean. “Good morning, Dean.” He murmured as he pushed up from Dean’s embrace. “I’m sorry I came without an invitation. I couldn’t sleep last night so I came to you.” He bit his lip nervously.

Dean just smiled at him. “Don’t apologize, you can come whenever you want~” He said with a wink as he rolled out of bed and walked over to the window, looking out at the water in the distance. “You hungry?”

Castiel nodded. “A little.”

“Boys, breakfast is ready!” Mary shouted. Dean grinned because his mother knew just when to call.

* * *

The boys cleaned up for breakfast and headed to the kitchen together. Mary kissed Dean’s forehead and said good morning to them both. “How did you two sleep?” The blond murmured.

“Pretty well.“ They both chimed.

She blinked and started laughing. “Well good, thing 1 and thing 2.”

Sam snorted as he stuffed his face with fruit. “It’s starting to get hard to tell them apart, mom.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Whatever, short stuff.” He teased, tasting the eggs.

There was a knock on the door as Mary finished cleaning up her mess.

John opened it and smiled. “Ah, good morning Alastair, come on in, we’re having breakfast.”

“Good morning, sorry to just drop by but I wanted to hang out with Dean today.” He grinned and locked eyes on Castiel. Oh this would be so much fun.

“Have a seat.” Mary said, placing a plate on the counter next to Castiel.

“Thank you~” He took a seat and smirked at Castiel. “Hey, how are you enjoying Winchesters? They’re great aren’t they?” He asked, elbowing Castiel playfully.

The tutor raised a brow and that same feeling of doubt rushed over him again. “Yes, they are wonderful.” He commented.

“And we love you too, Castiel~” Mary cooed. “You’re such an angel.”

Dean choked on his waffles. His mother would call him an angel, wouldn't she?

“Dean, are you okay?” Mary asked.

“Uh yeah, I’m good.”

“Alright, your father and I are heading out. We’re going to pick up the canoes for you guys.” She grabbed the keys off the counter and tossed them to John. “Let’s go, babe.”

“Can I come?” Sam asked, scarfing down more of his fruit to hurry and finished.

John nodded and walked to the door. “Yeah, come on.” He smiled and left with Sam and Mary.

The room was now eerily silent. Castiel stared down at his waffles and was feeling really uncomfortable sitting between the two. He personally didn’t want to be anywhere near Alastair but obviously he didn’t have a choice.

“So,” Alastair started. “I was thinking we all went to the lake today. It’s really hot out and it’ll be fun.”

“I’m up for it.” Dean agreed then looked at Castiel. “You okay with that?”

Castiel just silently nodded even though he didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to seem selfish, but he wanted to just be with Dean today. Plus, he would prefer anyone over Alastair, anyone.

“Then get changed and meet me there. Okay?”

The teens nodded and Alastair grabbed the bacon off his plate and headed out.

* * *

After they finished eating they ventured to their rooms and changed into swimming trunks and met back up by the front door. “Ready?” Dean asked, admiring the lack of clothing Castiel had on. The bookworm wasn’t as scrawny as his clothes made him out to be. He had muscle, he was toned. He was still petite, but had a nice frame.

He saw Dean looking him over and he suddenly felt more exposed than he really was. “Um…yes.” He moved past the other teen and walked out the door.

Dean laughed and locked up and headed to the lake. They arrived within a few minutes since it wasn’t far from the house. When the boys climbed down the rocks they were greeted by Alastair, who was not alone.

Dean froze in place when he locked eyes on the other male standing off behind Alastair. “…Alex.” The mood had definitely changed.

“Game on.” Alastair whispered into Castiel’s ear.


	7. Tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel finally meets Alex, Dean's ex and things don't really go too well. Alastair has more plans up his sleeve and Dean learns something else about Castiel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and leave your thoughts on the chapter please! I'm curious to hear what people are feeling about the story so far as a whole!!! c:

Alastair chuckled in amusement. "Ah, yes, trying to be the tough guy now, I see." He rubbed his cheek, looking somewhat thoughtful. "Do you feel threatened, angel? I know more about Dean than you ever will and I know he'll choose Alex over you." He hummed and slid his hands into his swimming trunks pockets. "Just keep that in mind, darling." He grinned, once again feeling pleased with his actions. He knew he would have to deal with getting rid of Alex once Castiel was out of the picture but he also knew that wouldn't be much of a problem.

Dean on the other hand was more confused than anything. Why in the hell was Alex here? What was he up to? "It has um, been a while." He muttered. That was all he could think of to say at the moment. "What are you doing here exactly?" He wasn't trying to sound rude but he definitely didn't want Castiel and Alex in the same proximity. That just wouldn't end well.

Alex frowned and reached out to pull Dean into a hug. "Rude." He said as he smiled and held him close. "So would you believe me if I told you that I missed you? Because I did and I wanted to see you in person. You know, for old times sake."

Dean brought his hands up between them and created some distance. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. "Missed me?" He laughed and rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. "Yo, Alastair, I think Cas and I are gonna head back to the house."

Castiel had never been so excited to hear that in his life. The hug between the two was already bothering him so leaving was a great idea.

Alex grabbed Dean's wrist. "Wait, don't leave. Just stay for a little while. All of us can have a good day."

Dean sighed and nodded. What harm could it do? Damn him and those big blue eyes. "Fine but just for a little while then we're leaving."

Castiel felt his heart drop and Alastair reveled in his handy work.

Alex finally brought his attention to the unfamiliar face that was watching them. "Now who is this? Don't tell me you went and replaced me, Dean? That hurts my feelings."

"Leave him alone, Alex."

Castiel stiffened and was seconds away from running off or jumping into the water. The feelings that he was starting to forget were rushing back with full force. He was a replacement, wasn't he? He didn't like this guy and obviously the feeling was mutual. He wasn't good with confrontation but if a situation called for it, he could handle himself. Physically he could fight, but verbally he was a sitting duck.

Alastair grinned. "This is Castiel. He goes to school with Deanie. He's really smart you know."

"Is that so?" He released Dean and moved over to Castiel against Dean's wishes. He extended his hand and gave a devilish grin. "I'm Alex. It's nice to meet you."

Castiel hesitated before shaking Alex's hand. "Likewise..." He guessed. He awkwardly pulled his hand away when the greeting ended. He didn't care about anything except what happened between Dean and Alex. What was Alastair not telling him?

Dean moved over to Castiel and stood in front of him. "Happy? You two met, now back off..." He said with a glare.

Alex just smiled down at Dean before bringing a hand to his ex's cheek and leaning down to kiss him.

Dean was completely caught off guard. Who even did things like that? Who kissed a person when they were trying to be pissed? What pissed him off more was that he didn't break the kiss right away. It took him a few seconds. But when he did shove Alex away he covered his mouth. "You're such an asshole."

Alex kept a smile on his face. It was good to see that Dean hadn't changed a bit since they broke up. He really regretted breaking up with Dean and seeing him with someone else only made Alex want him back more. He was okay with Dean being single but no one was allowed to date him. No one. "You used to like that~"

Dean flushed and turned away. "I'm going now." He laced his fingers with Castiel's and pulled him along.

"Oh, so you're gonna fuck the newbie to make me jealous? If you must know, it's working!" He shouted as the two made their way back up the set of rocks. Niceness was officially gone out the window. He _was_ going to be civil with Castiel but since Dean didn't play nice that attempt was off the table.

Dean felt like punching someone but kept his anger under control. "Shit I hate him..." He grumbled, walking back to the house. He ghosted his fingertips over his lips and frowned. He still liked it.

Castiel watched before pulling his hand out of Dean's grip. "You're trying to make him jealous?" He asked softly.

Dean shook his head. "No. I don't care what he thinks. We broke up a year ago. That's over with." He really cared for Alex but he wasn't in love with him. They broke up because Alex wanted to pursue older people and sex. Dean didn't have sex with him but that was still a mission Alex had. Dean was no virgin and he knew Alex's other motives so it just had to end. He sighed because he understood that look on Castiel's face. "I'm not trying to make him jealous. If anything I'm to keep my distance from him. He's very persuasive and he sucks people in that way."

Castiel didn't know what to say but he believed Dean. He still felt like a prop but had to find a way to move on from that. "Okay…" He replied as they approached the house.

He grabbed Castiel by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. "I wouldn't do that to you." He would admit to the girls and guys he dated that he wasn't the most courteous guy but he wouldn't just use someone for his own benefits. This time around though was different, even if it wasn't established if they were even dating. Either way, Castiel wasn't like the others. Pulling away he walked up the steps and unlocked the door. "Let's get changed?" He asked rather than suggesting.

Castiel nodded and followed Dean into the house. He wasn't sure he wanted to keep this going. He hated how it made him feel. He hated feeling insecure and needy. That feeling was amplified because Dean made him think on his own. When he was around Dean he felt like he mattered and had his own mind. He didn't have that with anyone else so perhaps that was why he felt the way he did recently. He had envied and admired Dean ever since they were young children. They may not have been best friends during, but they took notice of each other.

Once they were back in the house Dean went straight to his room. It didn't take him long to slip on some clothes. Castiel on the other hand was too wrapped up in his thoughts to even get started. He went straight to his bed and sat on the edge of it. What was he to do?

"Cas?" Dean called out from the hall way. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You decent?"

"Yes."

The younger opened the door and smiled. "I see you decided to stay half naked. I like this. " He teased, walking over to the bed. It was quiet for nearly a minute before Dean broke the silence. "So, are we going to talk about what's been going on?" He asked. Don't get him wrong, he was NOT the ' _let's get in touch with our feelings'_ type of guy but he was nice and had a soft spot for Castiel. He hated seeing him distraught. "If you don't mind talking."

"To be honest, I don't know what's going on."

Dean laughed. "Since we're being honest, I don't know either. I mean, we're sleeping in the same bed, kissing, flirting and all that shit but we never talk about it. What is it? A spring fling or what?" Poor choice of words once he thought about it. "Because I don't want it to be." Nice save! He had never had this problem before. It was just point blank; either you were dating, friends with benefits, or just friends. With Castiel all those were invalid.

Castiel smiled at Dean's comment. That's what he liked, him and Dean alone making memories. It was nice to hear Dean joke around and to see him smile. It was enticing and made him forget about everything. He bit his lip and worked up the nerve to do something he always wanted to do. He threaded his fingers through golden brown hair and tugged Dean into a soft kiss. It wasn't too deep and lasted pretty long. Dean moaned into the kiss and that sent chills down Castiel's spine. Nipping lightly at the younger teen's bottom lip, he smiled; he was getting better at this taking charge and giving no fucks attitude.

Dean could confidently say that Castiel was a unique one. He brought his hand to his thigh and leaned in closer into the kiss. He wouldn't ever get tired of their kisses; they were like little sparks that developed into explosions. "You shouldn't tease me." He whispered, resting their foreheads together.

"What if I like it?" He flushed at the statement that came out of his mouth, what was he saying? With another jolt of confidence surging through him he pushed Dean away but back onto the bed and then straddled his waist. Looking down at him he smiled. Dean made him do crazy things. That's how he explained it to himself.

"Mom was right, look out for the quiet ones…" Dean murmured with a grin plastered on his face.

Castiel wasn't sure if this sudden motivation to burst out of his shell was to compete with Alex and Alastair but there was no turning back now. This was what Dean wanted right? He needed it? It's what Alex could give him. He smiled and brought a shaky hand down to the button on Dean's pants.

Clearly something was wrong, Dean was enjoying it but the look on Castiel's face was concerning. He was smiling but he looked terrified. Then he remembered; Castiel was a virgin, Castiel was worried about being a replacement, Castiel was a fucking sweet guy who put other people's feelings before his own. "Shit." He sat up and placed his hand over Castiel's shaking hand. "Angel, why are you doing this?"

"I-I'm sorry…did I do something wrong?" He never did it before so now he was panicking. "I'm really sorry, Dean."

Dean just sighed and brought his arms up and wrapped them around Castiel, hugging him tightly. "You don't have to have sex with me to make me happy." He whispered. "You don't have to do something you aren't comfortable with or not ready for. I'll still feel the same way about you."

Castiel seemed to have gone limp in Dean's arms. His eyes were closed and he felt like such an idiot. Why was it so important to make sure Dean wouldn't leave him? "I'm sorry." He wanted to make Dean love him and want to be with him because he was under the impression that he wasn't good enough. He wasn't tall and adventurous like Alex or Suave and sly like Alastair. Dean liked guys like that...didn't he? He could pretend to be like that. If it meant he could keep Dean then he would do it.

"Stop that. I should be the one apologizing. I've been so wrapped up in this that I haven't even considered how you must be feeling." He hated this emotional talk but it didn't seem so bad when he was making Castiel feel better. "I like you for you. I like that you're weird and shy. I like that you don't act like an ordinary teenager. I like that you're smart and that you care so much. I like you, Castiel." He soothingly ran his fingers through Castiel's hair and smiled. "And I'd love if you let me worry about you for once."

Castiel didn't speak, he just nodded because he was sure if he spoke his voice would crack and he would cry.

"Come on, give me more than just a nod, I'm spewing out my feelings for you, man~"

Castiel lifted his head and smiled. "I like you too."

Before he could even admirer the blush painted over Castiel's cheeks the other teen buried his face back against his chest. He sighed happily and leaned back down onto the bed and laid there with Castiel. As surprised as he was, just lying there with Castiel was better than sex.


	8. The Fame of My Infamy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the trip runs smoothly, Castiel is feeling better about the 'Alex' situation and Dean is enjoying his time with Castiel. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER!

**Flashback—**

Castiel groaned and kept his head buried into the pillow. "I don't want to talk about it." He mumbled against the fabric.

"Oh come on, angel. It wasn't that bad." Dean reassured.

"Dean, I _literally_ threw myself at you and— God this is embarrassing." He groaned again but more dramatically this time. He couldn't believe his actions.

Dean just smiled and flopped down next to his friend. He pulled the teen's arm from its folded position then slid closer, pressing their heads together so they both were on the pillow. "I don't care about that. I still think you're dorky and cute."

Castiel smiled against the pillow. "You must promise me that you will forget about it?"

"I promise. I hardly even remember what you're talking about."

Castiel lifted his head from the pillow and stared at Dean. He really was a great person, so comforting and sweet. "Thank you." He had a moment of weakness.

* * *

**_Present day— 5:45pm_ **

After the incident at the waterfall, time seemed to have flown by. Castiel didn't see or hear anything else from or about Alastair and Alex during the rest of the trip. Still, doubts plagued his mind every day but before he knew it, it was time to pack up and head back home. Castiel of course was not pleased but he was interested to see how things would progress between him and Dean once they were back in school.

The drive home surprisingly went fast. Castiel slept most of the way and Sam caught Dean staring at the tutor on multiple occasions. It was cute but he didn't say anything to tease him because Sam was positive that this was the first time that Dean was _serious_ -serious about someone.

John and Mary headed home and Dean drove Castiel home. When they pulled up in front of his house Castiel stared in shock at the driveway.

"It can't be." The tutor whispered to himself but not low enough since he caught both Sam and Dean's attention.

Sam raised a brow. "What, it's just a car in your driveway."

Dean might have gasped. "That is not just _a car_ , that's a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro, Sammy. Have I taught you nothing?"

Sam just rolled his eyes. "Right." He had no interest in cars so whatever Dean taught went in one ear and out the other.

Castiel rubbed his head and quietly exited the car. "My brother is here." He wasn't as excited as he should have been because he still wasn't over his siblings leaving him behind.

Sam was shocked because he didn't know Castiel had siblings. Of all the times he was at their house he never once saw photos of any other children.

"Yeah, he has two brothers. I just found out not too long ago." Dean said to his brother. That was the same look he had when he heard of Castiel's two other brothers.

Castiel didn't even retrieve his things; he went straight to his front door and unlocked the doors before entering. There were only two reasons for his brother to return home and he was sure their mother was still alive.

Dean turned the car off and looked back at Sam. "Stay in the car, I'll be right back, okay?" He slid out of the impala and grabbed Castiel's bags from the trunk. That would be his excuse to knock on the door and be nosy. He was curious about Castiel's brother. He wondered which one was in the house and what they would be like. He had so many questions and so little time. After walking up the walkway he finally stopped at the door then knocked softly.

The door opened right away and Dean was greeted by a shorter male with a huge grin on his face. "Yo, Cassy, there's a doe-eyed boy at the door for you."

Dean stared at him. "Excuse me?"

"Come on in." He stepped aside and let Dean inside. "I'm Gabriel and assuming that you just dropped him off means you're Dean, right?"

Dean nodded. "Nice to meet you, Gabriel and yeah, I'm Dean."

"You don't look anything like how I pictured you'd look. My mother had you pegged for this creepy, jockish, douchebag."

"Funny that's how she views me since I've only seen her twice and spoke to her once." He shrugged his shoulders. He honestly didn't care what the woman thought of him. "I guess helping Cas realize that he has control over his own life didn't sit well with her. I ruffled a few feathers."

"Not at all actually, you burned all of her feathers. I knew this had to be serious if she resorted to calling me."

Dean placed Castiel's bags on the floor and smiled. "So she's pissed at me about the school?"

Gabriel nodded. "Obviously. If she thinks I'm going to help her talk him out of it, she's dumber than I thought."

Dean wanted to laugh but that was _their_ mother, so he kept his laughter to himself out of respect. "Well I should go."

"No, too late for that, you're in this now."

Castiel came from the kitchen with a scowl on his face. He said nothing more than, "let's go, Dean." He grabbed his hand and pulled him towards and out of the door.

"Uh, okay?"

"Goodbye, Gabriel." Castiel huffed as he made his way back to the car.

Dean stopped him for a moment and pressed Cas up against the car. "Dude, you okay? Talk to me."

"I am fine." He glanced off to the side and pouted. He hated that his mother was involving Dean in their arguments. "Please just take me anywhere but here."

"You can stay with us tonight, I'm sure my parents won't mind."

"Thank you."

* * *

**_11:50pm—_ **

Mary asked Dean what exactly happened but all he could really say was that Castiel had a fight with his mother. That was all he knew anyway.

"So, you wanna talk about it?" Dean asked.

Castiel just nodded but he looked out of it. _He_ was there but his mind wasn't.

"And on the way to Mexico I was thinking that we go on a murder spree." He sat down on the bed and sighed. "Oh, and rob a few banks. What do you think?"

"Yes, that'll be fine." He continued to stare out the window.

"Cas." Dean reached out and shook him lightly.

Cas disconnected from his thoughts and registered Dean's voice. "Yes?"

"So you're okay with that plan?"

"Excuse me?"

"You just agreed to go to Mexico with me and to have a murder spree with some bank robberies."

"Dean?"

"I wasn't serious, you just- you weren't fully here."

"My apologies."

"I know I have no right to ask but, but what the fuck did she say to you to get you so messed up?"

"Dean," he rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. "She'd make sure no college accepted me." That was a lie but he couldn't bring himself to tell Dean what really was said.

_"You stay away from that Winchester boy or I'll make sure he has no future after high school."_

_"Mother, that's not fair, Dean has done nothing wrong."_

_"I don't care. Keep away from him; it's for your own good, Castiel!"_

Castiel knew she meant it too, he knew she had the connections to make that happen. Naomi could sabotage Dean getting into college and he refused to let that happen. He smiled softly and glanced over at Dean. This might have been his last moments spent with Dean. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being you." He leaned over and kissed Dean on the lips before standing from the bed. "I have to go."

"Wait, go? Go where? It's nearly midnight."

"I'm going home."

"I'll drive you, it's late."

"I want to walk."

"Then I'll walk with you."

"Alone." He kept a smile on his face but he knew what he had to do next. "And I," he ran surprisingly still fingers through his hair. "I want you to stay away from me, okay?"

Dean felt like he fell down a flight of stairs. Where was all of that coming from? How could Cas say that so calmly with such a straight face? He didn't mean it— he couldn't have. "Cas you can't be serious." He stepped closer but Castiel took a step back. "Cas..."

"We are so different, I am so different and you and I both know we wouldn't work. You are Dean Winchester and I— I am just the guy who tutors your baby brother." He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. "Bye, Dean." He turned on the heels of his feet and left Dean standing alone in the room.

His mother would leave Dean out of it and that's all that mattered.

This was for Dean's own good.

* * *

**_12:30am—_ **

Dean didn't know how he ended up with Alex but he couldn't bring himself to care. He felt like crap and he just wanted to see Cas, to talk to him and understand what the fuck was going on. When he returned to his senses he locked eyes on Alex who was standing right in front of him. He couldn't really make out what he was saying because all he could do was think about Castiel.

"You're so beautiful when you cry." Alex whispered, wiping away the tears from Dean's cheeks.

Dean glanced around and the street was empty. He didn't realize that he was crying.

_Crying for Cas._


	9. Smother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean deals with Castiel calling it quits and just maybe he's right. But who's going to be rational and try to figure that out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such a very long time to wait for an update! My apologies, my dears!

"I have to catch up to him..." Dean whispered into the night air. That's all that mattered, that's all that he needed. "Let go of me." He pulled himself free from Alex's grip and attempted to head to his car but Alex grabbed his wrist.

"If he wanted to be found he wouldn't have ran off." Alex accidentally let slip before pulling Dean back into his hold. How did he know that Castiel had run off? "I don't know what happened but he left for a reason." He ran a hand down Dean's spine and hugged him close. "You always did fall hard."

Dean just stood there. Alex was right, Castiel did leave for a reason but that didn't mean he should just give up on him and let him walk right out of his life. He felt Alex's fingers ghost up under his T-shirt and the touch was cold. "Not for you."

"Excuse me?"

"Not for you, I didn't fall hard for you." He pulled away from Alex again and darted for his car. "You're an asshole, that's why."

To say the least, Alex was shocked because Castiel really had to be something for Dean to just run off like that.

* * *

Dean didn't even realize how fast he had been driving until he saw Castiel's house coming into view. His mother's car wasn't in the driveway so that that a good sign at least. He parked a few houses down and ran up to the front door to knock. After about a few seconds or so, he rang the doorbell.

Castiel was heading up to his room when the doorbell echoed throughout the house. When he opened the door he almost contemplated slamming it back closed. "Why are you here?"

Dean frowned and pushed his way into the house. "The fuck you mean why I'm here? Did we not have the same conversation about an hour ago?" He pushed the door closed and glared at Castiel. "Talk to me."

"Dean."

"Cas I swear of you say-"

"There is nothing to talk about." He moved to open the front door again but Dean had grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the floor within seconds. The next thing he knew, Dean had gotten him pinned with his arms above his head and their fingers laced.

"Don't give me that bullshit. One minute we're all cliché chick flick moment then the next you're out of nowhere telling me to stay away from you with no legit explanation. The fuck is that, Cas?!" He shook his head. "No. I'm not buying the crap. Give me the real reason, Castiel. Convince me to stay away otherwise I can't do that." He gnawed at his bottom lip before speaking again. "I just can't." He was confident that even with the real reason he still wouldn't be able to stay away.

Castiel stared up at Dean with conflicted blue eyes. He didn't know why he expected Dean to just go along with that. Hell, he didn't even convince himself with his halfhearted excuse.

Dean on the other hand didn't expect for Castiel to think so hard about his answer because didn't he already have a reason for it? To say the least, he was surprised when Castiel started talking.

"You have to stay away from me because I love the way that you treat people. I love the way that you talk and laugh. I like how your lips look and how you lick then them while reading. I think it is a habit you have formed. I like how you show everyone respect and how creative you are. I like how smart you are. I love how you try your best at things even when it goes awry. I love that you don't judge people and that you are honest. I love every single thing about you, Dean Winchester, and I do not want to see someone do wrong by you." He paused finally and glanced off to the side. "And I do not want to be the reason that someone does wrong by you."

Dean stared at him in shock and fuck, he was blushing because of Castiel's words. "W-what- wait..." He loosened his grip and sat up straight, straddling Castiel's waist. "Do wrong by me?" He didn't even know where to start. Castiel had said so much. "No one is doing wrong by me, Cas."

Castiel closed his eyes and huffed. "Dean, you have to trust me, okay?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to trust you when you're telling me to stay away from you?!"

"Dean, please." Castiel whispered before pushing himself up into sitting position. He placed a hand on Dean's hip. "Please." He wanted nothing more than to just kiss and tell him that nothing was wrong but he couldn't. He brought his hand to the other's cheek but Dean instantly turned his head away from the touch. Castiel couldn't blame him.

"I can't." He pushed off of the other boy and stood from the floor.

"Dean, wait."

"No, I get it." He moved to the door but Castiel grabbed his wrist.

Castiel pulled him close and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry."

Dean pulled away and left the house. He was confused because how could Castiel love that many things about him but still want to keep his distance? He just didn't understand.

* * *

**Two months later—**

Two months had passed and they had no contact. Castiel avoided the Winchester's house and met with Sam after school at the library. That worked out until he had no choice but to visit the house. He knew he was going to run into Dean but he had to map out how he would react. Would they speak? Would Dean ignore him? He had no idea how he was going to handle it all. It had been so long.

"Sam," Castiel called out lowly. "Is your brother home?" He asked, trying not to sound anxious but he was sure that Sam sensed it.

"Not yet, he's at the shop working on a car for Bobby." He led Castiel into the kitchen and over to the table by the window. He wasn't blind; he knew something was up with those two. Castiel hadn't been over like he used to, Dean didn't talk about Castiel anymore and they both were acting weird. "So yeah, what's up with you guys?"

Castiel shook his head quickly. "Nothing."

"Yeah, that was totally believable, how about you try that again." He unzipped his backpack and pulled out his homework. "Don't lie to me either, you're a horrible liar. You both have been acting really weird. You've been avoiding our house like the plague and Dean is all mopey. What happened?"

"We broke up?" He wasn't sure if they had even dating but Castiel assumed this was what a breakup felt like.

"What?!"

"Sam..." This was not what he wanted to discuss.

"Sorry. You okay?" Sam felt bad really. He had been teasing Dean lately about why he wasn't with his other half but now he knew and he felt like such a dick for constantly making his brother think about someone he cares about.

_Someone he was no longer with._

Castiel shook his head. "No."

"You guys should talk."

"There is nothing for us to discuss, Sam. We are over." He felt his chest tighten and he wished he hadn't have mentioned Dean. "Can we...get started?"

"Uh yeah, sure thing, here is what I have." He wasn't surprised that Castiel wanted to change the subject. He and Dean seemed to have gotten close and to suddenly break up was obviously taking its toll on the tutor.

* * *

Dean felt his heart sink when he pulled up because the last thing he expected was to see Castiel back at their house. He was kind of riding on notion that the other avoiding his house. They hadn't spoken since that night at Castiel's house and maybe that was a good thing for Dean. He couldn't fret over him if he wasn't around, right? _Wrong_. He constantly thought about him. He spent so much time thinking of ways to touch Castiel, maybe a light brush of fingers or press his face into his neck to remember how he felt. Or maybe pressing his lips against the other boys because he liked the way he tasted. He spent more time thinking of that than actually being mad at him. He missed him.

The one thing that he didn't think of was how to talk with him after everything that had happened. It wasn't like Dean hadn't ever broken up with anyone— in fact, he had done it a lot and it usually wasn't a hard task. But Castiel broke up with him and Dean had been empty since those words left his lips.

_Stay away from me._

That was a hell of a lot easier said than done.

Since he couldn't sit in the driveway forever so he forced himself out of the car, backpack slung over his shoulder as he approached the porch. He took his sweet time opening the door and just as he expected, Castiel was right there, sitting in the kitchen with Sam. "Sammy, I'm home." He said, b-lining for the staircase to head to his bedroom. He didn't want to face him. It hurt but he would never admit that.

Sam looked at Castiel then to the doorway where his brother had flown past in a hurry. "You should go talk to him."

"I cannot."

"You can, you just don't want to. Now go, at least clear the air because the tension is so thick in the house that I can barely breathe. Do you want to kill me?"

Castiel stared at Sam before standing from his seat. Sam was right. It wouldn't hurt to just talk with him. What his mother didn't know wouldn't hurt her. So he nodded to Sam and turned and headed to Dean's bedroom. When he reached the top of the staircase, he pushed open the cracked door and locked eyes on Dean standing in the middle of his room. It looked like he had been pacing. "Dean."

"Cas."

Of course, as if the moment couldn't have gotten more awkward. "I wanted to speak with you." He took a few steps closer and he was sure that Dean did the same thing. "Is that okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, Cas." Dean hated this.

"I am sorry." He cleared his throat and took another step closer. "I mean it." He whispered, eyes focusing too hard on the carpet.

"Yeah?" Dean let his eyes roam over Castiel's features. He really did miss this boy. "That's funny coming from the guy who…" he stopped himself. He refused to get into an argument with him. "I gotta get ready, Cas. Do you need anything else?"

Castiel just stared at him. "No." Disappointed for the lack of a better word was how he felt. He wanted Dean to understand. "Sorry, Dean." He repeated as he backed up to the door, but before he could leave, Dean was shuffling forwards, stepping into him before their lips were joined.

"Why can't you want me?" That was all that Castiel heard the other boy whisper before his lips were covered once again.


End file.
